Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-07-16
AMONG THE CHURCHES.
Current Topics of Interest in tho Re-
ligious World.

Mr.. Henry Seybert, of Philadelphia,
some years SINCE in his last will and tesla
ment made bequest of 100000 to the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania on the condition that it
should appoint a commission to make thor
ough and impartial investigation of the phe
nomena of spiritualism. Some three years ago
a commission of eminent scientists was Sc
lected for this work. This commission has
secretly tested numerous mediums" in diff
ferent parts of the country, and generally
found them reluctant to submit to the tests
proposed, and frequently they absolutely re-
fused to do so. The report, which is now in
process of being printed, declares that no
medium" who has been tested could stand ian
honest investigation"
When the Abyssinians were rediscov-
cred by Western Christianity in the sixteenth
century, they were found to have preserved in
all outward forms and ceremonies the Chris
tianity of the early Greek church, unaffected
by the changes of later centuries. This church
is as much a monument of the early Chris
tianity as are the ruined temples and churches
elsewhere in the East. Its literature is venera-
BILE, and noteworthy because a number of
books, lost to the Greek and Latin churches,
have been preserved in the isolation of the
Abyssinian strongholds. Such are the Book of
Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, Ascension of
Isaiah, and especially an old translation of the
Bible.
1t is announced that the 1.-THE rent
charge bill is among those sure to pass Parlia-
ment. 1t proposes to abolish the right of dis
tress for 1.-THE, to allow redemption on the
terms of twenty years purchase instead of
twenty-five, and to give the tithe-payer a dis
count of five per cent. in consideration of
speedy payment. Meantime the 1.-THE agita-
t. uT-I@
sales of stock are resisted in every possible
way except by extreme violence, and there is
universal revolt against the exactiOn of full
rates.
The Rev. H. II. Davies, vicar of
Llangeed, Llanfhangel- tyn- Silwy, and Llanies
tyn, Wales, has just passedsthrough the Bank
ruptcy Court. 1t transpired that the reverend
gentleman's income from three parishes was
only $3.50 year, and that Mr.. Hughes, a fortu-
nate young gentleman, of Birkenhead, who is
patron of the livings, gets $2,s75 year from
the same parishes in tithes. No wonder that
there is 1.-THE war in Wales, as this is by no
means an exceptional case.
DR.. Stewart writes that the increase of
church membership in the United Presby-
terrain India Mission in 1885 was more than
three times what it was the preceding year.
AT the end of 1885 there were 2,176 communing
members; at the end of 1886, about 1900. OF
these 1900 were added by adult baptism in
1886. Some 700 children also were baptized.
The increase of commandments was over eighty
eight per cent. Who can say India is an I'M
fruitful mission held2
We have repeatedly insisted that the
first step, the one decisive step to be taken by
the Protestant Episcopal Church in the direc-
ton of Christian unity-we do not say organic
church unity-is the recognition of the broth
erhood of non-episcopal Christian ministry.
And the one way to show that recognition is
to open the Episcopal pulpit doors to evangel-
ical ministers of other denominations.-Chris-
tan At Work.
Burdette, the humorist, Is something
of preacher. He will have charge of the ser
vice of the Second Reformed Church, North
River, among the Adirondacks, this summer.
Last year he conducted the services with many
tokens of the Divine blessing. 1t is stated that
out of the offerings he took 81 as a memento
and put the rest into the church fund.
The Welsh Presbyterian Synod has
just closed its annual session in Cincinnati. 1t
has thirty-eight churches, twenty seven min
listers and about 5000 members.
A church capable of holding 1000 per-
sons has been built at Bergen, Norway. Its
popularity is that no material has been used
in it but papier-mache.